Alameda County Sheriff's deputies shoot man who threatened family

A Castro Valley man was in emergency surgery after allegedly threatening sheriff's deputies who came to his home and was holding a firearm replica.

March 22, 2013 12:00:00 AM PDT

ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. --

A Castro Valley man was in emergency surgery Friday night after allegedly threatening sheriff's deputies who came to his home and shouldering a homemade replica firearm at an approaching sheriff's vehicle, prompting a sergeant to shoot him, a sheriff's spokesman said.

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office received reports at about 7 p.m. from a family in the 3400 block of Seven Hills Road who said a family member was acting belligerent, threatening and that the rest of the family was fleeing and leaving him in the house.

The man allegedly then called sheriff's dispatchers and said that he was going to "shoot up the world" and would shoot any deputies arriving at his home, sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson said.

To respond to the threat, deputies loaded into an armored vehicle and as they proceeded up Seven Hills Road they saw the man come out of the side of the house and shoulder what appeared to be a rifle.

The man ducked behind some juniper bushes near his driveway, and then popped up again behind the bushes nearby, again shouldering the apparent rifle, Nelson said.

A sheriff's sergeant shot the suspect from a porthole on top of the armored vehicle, striking him in the chest. He was rushed to Eden Medical Center and was taken to emergency surgery for his wounds.

The weapon he was holding turned out to be a replica firearm, made of wood with a handle to resemble a rifle. The 49-year-old man was on probation for weapons charges, Nelson said. His name has not been released.